They talk and talk, those tipsters in Anaheim City Hall. And it’s been how long – since February – eight months since the beleaguered (albeit remarkably gay-dancing) Jim Vanderpool unexpectedly up and left the City Manager job, eight months with Perpetual Interim Guy Greg Garcia holding down the fort. And today (it doesn’t seem like the first time either) a closed session is scheduled to finally get us a City Manager, in the OC’s biggest city.
But word is, the Council in its wisdom doesn’t seem too happy with any of the applicants and there AREN’T that many outside applicants. I mean, it pays real good, but possible applicants must look at the carnage of the past decade, laid out around them like skeletons in the desert: Vanderpool chased off or fired. Zapata fired by the Sidhu council. Emery driven off by the Tait/Moreno council. City Attorney Cristina Talley fired by the Kris Murray council, just before they quietly drove away City Manager Bob Wingenroth.
Should we go back out for another search? ponder some of the Council. Maybe cast the net out for ANOTHER eight months? Or…
There IS another applicant, one from within the ranks, Public Works Director Rudy Emami. And HIS greatest champion is Councilwoman Natalie Meeks – they go WAY back, to back when she worked with him and led his department. It is whispered too that Mayor Ashleigh prefers this alternative, as a way to “keep her troubles within the city family,” and not risk an outsider coming in and exposing additional issues or concerns.
There’s also talk of appointing another insider, interim CM Greg Garcia, as permanent City Manager. Forget it! He didn’t apply and I keep telling you he doesn’t want that job, no matter how much more it pays. It is nothing but stress and woe.
So. Hire an outsider to “clean house and address issues,” or appoint someone “inside the tent” – that is the question. And you heard it here first on the Orange Juice Blog. And when this happens and the Voice of OC and Register reports on it, I’ll give each of you a dollar if they write “As first reported in the Orange Juice Blog.”
That is all. Thank you tipsters. Vern out.
Not the Lord of Lincoln widening!